Kaleidoscope

As kids, many of us loved looking into kaleidoscopes. Entranced by the dazzling array of repeating colors and shapes that fold and collapse into infinity, we’d continuously rotate the device as we oohed and aahed. But sometimes, a kaleidoscope might produce a pattern so enchanting that we’ll be completely mesmerized and stop tinkering with it completely as to not disturb the delicate design within.

This is the essence of what Mumbai-based artist Zubin Jhaveri wanted to capture through his Kaleidoscope series. Created by cutting and layering multicolored sheets of paper, Jhaveri’s intricate sculptures aim to invoke a sense of enchantment that rivals the experience of peering into a kaleidoscope for the first time. He describes the series as “something that would make you, the viewer, feel fascinated and hypnotized as you try to decode the secrets it holds.”

Speaking with Jhaveri, one thing is clear – his insatiable curiosity towards life and all of its beautiful details is an endless source of artistic inspiration. He says, “Kaleidoscopes were something that fascinated me as a kid, but to my surprise, revisiting it as an adult, I found myself even more captivated by it.”

While Jhaveri is open to experimenting with different materials and mediums, paper remains one of his favorite mediums. He often worked with paper to create different miniature sculptures even before he had the idea for Kaleidoscope. “Having worked on paper models in the past made it easier for me to visualize and transform 2D illustrations and materials into 3D for this project,” he explains.

As a culmination of his past experiences with creating paper-based models, Kaleidoscope sees Jhaveri taking the seemingly simple medium of paper to new levels and using it to showcase the complexity and geometric beauty of one of his favorite toys.